Apple Valley Road to close for bridge work

RALEIGH – The N.C. Department of Transportation will close Apple Valley Road northeast of Hendersonville at 7 a.m. Wednesday to replace the bridge over Clear Creek.

The road will be closed until Sept. 15, N.C. DOT officials said in a news release Tuesday.

The bridge, built in 1961, is considered structurally deficient and functionally obsolete, according to the release. While the bridge is still safe, it requires extensive maintenance and repair. Lane and shoulder widths also don't meet current standards.

The $464,756.22 project contract was awarded to Apple Tuck and Associates Inc. of Rutherfordton.

During the closure, motorists should detour to Bearwallow Road to Mills Gap Road to Garren Road, then back to Apple Valley Road.

For real-time travel information at any time, call 511, visit www.ncdot.gov/travel or follow NCDOT on Twitter at www.ncdot.gov/travel/twitter.

Another option is NCDOT Mobile, a phone-friendly version of the NCDOT website. To access it, type “m.ncdot.gov” into the browser of your smartphone. NCDOT Mobile is compatible with the iPhone, Android and some newer Blackberry phones.